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Anyone who has watched HBO’sGame of Thronesor has read George R.R. Martin’s novels has gotten a hint of how the storyline is rooted deep in history. But it took a real nerd to figure out the clear connection betweenA Song of Ice and Fireand theWar of the Roses, even before the author cited his source material.
According to George R.R. Martin’s interview, the author admitted taking inspiration from several historical novels, including Thomas B. Costain’sA History of the Plantagenets,for his fantasy series. Writing the two main houses of the show, Lannisters and Starks, based on the Lancasters and the Yorks, Martin admitted being inspired by the legendary English Civil War.
George R.R. Martin reflected on his inspiration forGame of Thrones
Even though fans ofGame of Thronesand readers ofA Song of Ice and Fireseries were well aware of thehistorical inspirationsbehind the storyline, George R.R. Martin confided toThe Guardianabout the inspiration behind his novel. Discussing how a particular event in English history helped shape his story, Martin opened up about the War of the Roses.
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Addressing the legendary English Civil War that happened during the 15th century (from 1455 to 1485), between the two houses, the Lancasters and the Yorks, George R.R. Martin admitted to relying on that storyline forGame of Thrones. Particularly picking up on the writing styles of Thomas B. Costain, from his four-volume bookA History of the Plantagenets, Martin created the world of Westeros.
Mymodel for this was the four-volume history of the Plantagenets that Thomas B Costain wrote in the 50s. It’s old–fashioned history: he’s not interested in analyzing socioeconomic trends or cultural shifts so much as the wars and the assignations and the murders and the plots and the betrayals, all the juicy stuff.
Costain did a wonderful job on the Plantagenets so I tried to do that for the Targaryens.
Claiming to be fascinated by the elements of great drama—power struggles and brutal battles, George R.R. Martin admitted to borrowing ideas from real historical conflicts of the 15th century to make his fictional world feel more authentic. Further, in his attempt to shape the history of Targaryens, Martin admitted to following Thomas B. Costain’s writing pattern of focusing on epic battles more than socioeconomic trends.
Similarities betweenA Song of Ice and Fireand theWar of the Roses
FollowingGeorge R.R. Martin’s comments, if you look closely atA Song of Ice and Fire,you’ll realize how the story mirrors the War of the Roses. From family division to conflict for power, Martin’s books seemed to be a fictional rewrite of the legendary English Civil War from the 15th Century.
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To get into details, the War of the Roses happened between two branches of the Plantagenet family, the Lancasters, and the Yorks—to win the English throne. Similarly, in Martin’s books, the primary fight took place between the major houses of Westeros, the Lannisters and the Starks, to win the Iron Throne.
Now, although there were certain differences in aspects of politics, relationships, and dragons, the two stories seemed overall the same. Much like the real-life battle between the two English families, even Martin’s stories had decades of betrayal, bloody battles, and murders, which ended in resolution.
As per history, the 15th-century war ended with the marriage of Henry Tudor (Henry VII), a Lancastrian, and Elizabeth of York, beginning the Tudor reign. WhereasGame of Thronesended with the destruction of the coveted Iron Throne, and Bran Stark being chosen as the only neutral character fit to become the King of Westeros.
Game of Thronesis currently available to watch on Max.
Krittika Mukherjee
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3217
Krittika Mukherjee is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on films, TV shows, and celebrity news with over 3,000 articles published. With an educational background in Journalism, and a keen interest in filmmaking, Krittika blends factual precision with creative flair, when crafting her editorials, or dissecting fan theories.Her coverage often includes news and analyses of critically acclaimed films, celebrity news, and franchises like the Wizarding World, LOTR, DC, and MCU—particularly Harry Potter, Fantastic Beasts, Superheroes, and fan theories. As a Wizarding World aficionado, Krittika has spent countless hours exploring hidden backstories, unadapted book moments, spells, and trivias surrounding J.K. Rowling’s lore.An imaginative writer with a way with words, Krittika has worked as an entertainment journalist for the past two years and a web content writer for a year. She brought her experience and expertise to FandomWire to pursue her desire for sipping coffee while dissecting films and tracking celebrity drama.
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